Locking and signaling device.



AA). STANFORD. LOGKING'AND SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 5, 1910.

Patented B60211910.

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A. D. STANFORD.

LOCKING AND SIGNALING DBVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 5, 1910. r

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

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ARTHUR D. STANFORD, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

LOCKING AND SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

Application filed February 5, 1910. Serial No. 542,169.

intended for use in connection with the doorv of a car for giving an alarm when the same is opened and thus permit of apprehending any one who is gaining access tothe car without authority.

The object of this invention is the production of a simple and efficient device for this purpose which canbe readily operated and which is not liable to get out of order under the hard usage to which cars are ordinarily subjected.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 2 sheets: Figure l is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of a freight car equipped with my improved lock and signal device. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the signal device, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the check valve forming part of the signal device. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section, on an enlarged scale, in line 4 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the operating mechanism and the casing which incloses the same, with the lid open. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section in line 6 6, Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Although my invention is capable of use in connection with doors of buildings generally, the same as illustrated in the drawings, is shown in connection with a freight car.

A represents the side wall of the car having a door way which may be opened or closed by means of a horizontally-sliding door B.

C represents a hook or shoulder which is preferably arranged on the inner side of the door adjacent to the front vertical edge thereof. This door hook coperates with the bill or shoulder Z of a vertically swinging latch D pivoted on the inner side of the adjacent part of the wall. While in its depressed position the bill of the latch engages with the door hook the same being held in this position by a spring E secured to the wall and bearing against the upper side of the latch. The downward movement of the latch is limited by means of a stop c secured tothe inner side of this wall and engaging with the underside of the latch.

rlhe mechanism for raising the latch to permit of opening the door comprises a vertically swinging releasing lever F pivoted on the inner side of the wall and adapted to engage its front arm with the underside of the latch, a vertically rotatable upper gear vsegment Gr arranged adjacent to the bottom a of the car, a shifting rod g connected at its lower end with the gear segment Gr on one side of its center while its upper end is connected with the rear arm of the releasing lever, a lower vertically turning gear segment I-I provided with a hand crank h for turning the same, and a horizontally movable duplex gear rack I having rows of teeth on Aits upperV and lower sides which engage respectively with the upper and lower segments.

Upon turning the crank z, in the direction opposite to the hands of a clock, the gear rack will be moved toward the left by the lower segment and the upper segment will be turned in the opposite direction, thereby producing a downward pull on the shifting rod, whereby the releasing lever is turned in the proper direction for lifting the latch and unlocking the door.

For the purpose of producing an audible signal when the door releasing device is thus operated, the following means are provided: J represents a whistle which is connected by a pipe K with an auxiliary tank or reservoir L adapted to contain a supply of compressed air. The whistle is provided with a valve j which when opened permits the air to pass from the auxiliary tank to the whistle and blow the same. The o ening of the whistle valve j is preferably e ected by a lever jl pivoted on the whistle body and bearing with one of its arms against the stem of the stopper or plug of tlie whistle valve in a well known manner.

The auxiliary reservoir is preferably supplied with air from the train pipe cl of the air brake system with which the car is equipped. The pipe 702 which connects the auxiliary reservoir with the train pipe is provided with a check valve les to prevent the air from escaping from the auxiliary reservoir when the car is cut ofi' from the train and the air connections of the brake system are separated. The other arm of the whistle lever jl is connected with one end of a connecting rod m the other end of which is connected with the lower segment on one side of its center.

When the lower segment is turned in the direction for unlocking the car door, therod m turns the whistle lever so as to admit compressed air to the whistle and sound the same. If therefore any unauthorized person is opening the car door, this signal serves as an a arm which scares away the burglar and also warns the attendant of such illegal entrance to the car.

In order to reliably hold the lock operating mechanism in a position in which it permits the door lock to hold the door shut, a retaining device is provided which is controlled by the pressure of the air in the auxiliary air reservoir. The preferred means of effecting this locking of the door comprise a motor cylinder N connected at one end by a branch pipe a with the auxiliary reservoir, and a piston O arranged in the cylinder and connected by a rod 0l with the gear rack. When the latch is in position to lock the door the gear r'ack is held in its retracted position toward the right by the air pressure in the cylinder against the piston, thereby preventing accidental release of the lock and opening of the car door.

If the air pressure were permitted to bear constantly against the piston, it would be very diicult to shift the parts by hand for unlocking the door. Means are therefore provided whereby the gear rack and connecting parts are permitted to remain at rest during the initial part of the unlocking movement of the crank and during this movement the cylinder is cut off from the compressed air supply and vented to the atmosphere. This is preferably effected by means of a three-way valve P arranged in the branch pipe n and having its rotatable plug p provided with an army which is connected with one end of a shifting rod Q, the opposite end of which is connected with the hand crank. t

The teeth of the lower segment are so disposed relatively to the lower teeth of the gear rack that this segment travels idly independently of the rack during the initial part of its unlocking movement and at this time the plug of the three-way valve is turned from the position in which the cylinder is connected with the auxiliary reservoir, as shown in Fig. 2, to a position in which it connects the cylinder with the atmosphere,

thereby cutting off the compressed air pressure from the piston and permitting the air to escape from the cylinder' to the atmosyvalve has been thus shifted, the continued turning of the lower segment in the same direction causes its teethl to engage with the lower teeth ofthe gear rack and move the same toward the left, thereby expelling the air from the cylinder through the medium of the piston and also unlocking the door through the medium of the upper gear segment, upper shifting rod and releasing lever.

After the door is unlocked, the same may be opened and then the hand crank is turned backwardly to its first position, whereby the latch is permitted to descend to its operative position ready to automatically lock thedoor if the same is pushed shut and also turning the three-way valve so as to again apply air pressure to the piston for holding the lock operating mechanism in place and also arresting the blowing of the whistle.

Inasmuch as the throw of the lower gear segment is greater than that necessary for operating the whistle lever, a slack connection is provided for this purpose which preferably consists of a longitudinal slot s arranged on the rear end of the whistle operating rod and engaging with a pin s1 on the lower arm of the whistle lever, as shown in Fig. 2. By this means, the whistle rod moves idly during the first part of its forward stroke and only operates the whistle lever during the last art of this stroke.

For the purpose o permitting thecar to be sealed, the upper and lower gear segments, the gear rack, crank and adjacent parts are inclosed in a casing comprising a body or box T arranged on the exterior of the car and a lid t which is pivoted on one side to the box and connected on its opposite side with the vbox by the wire of a seal u which passes through corresponding perforated lugs u1, u2 on the box and lid, as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

To prevent tampering with the Whistle, the same is also inclosed in a cage v of woven wire or other' foraminous material secured to the ca-r.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a wall having an opening and a movable door for said opening, of a lock for said door, a great segment connected on one side of its axis with said lock, a whistle, a valve for said whistle, another gear segment connected on one side of its axis with said whistle valve and a gear rack having teeth engaging with both of` phere, Immediately after the three-way l on one side of its axis with said connecting rod, a gear rack having teeth engaging with both of said segments, a pressure cylinder and a piston arranged in said cylinder and connected with said rack.

3. The combination with a wall having an opening and a movable door for said opening, of a lock for said door, a gear segment connected on one side of its axis with said lock, a whistle, a valve for said whistle, a connecting rod connected at one end with said whistle valve another gear segment connected on one side of its axis with said connecting rod, a gear rack having teeth engaging with both of said segments, a pressure cylinder, a piston arranged in said cylinder and connected with said rack, an auxiliary air reservoir, and a vent valve for connecting said cylinder with said reservoir or with the atmosphere.

4l. The combination with a wall having an opening and a movable door for said opening, of a lock for said door, a gear segment connected on one side of its axis wit-h said lock, a whistle, a valve for said whistle, a connecting rod connected at one end with said whistle valve another gear segment connected on one side of its axis with said connecting rod, a gear rack having teeth engaging with both of said segments, a pressure cylinder, a piston arranged in said cylinder and connected with said rack, an auxiliary air reservoir, a vent valve for connecting said cylinder with said reservoir or with the atmosphere, and means for operating said vent valve by the movement of the last mentioned segment.

5. The combination with a wall having an opening and a door for controlling said opening, of a loclr for said door a releasing device for said lock, an upper gear segment connected on one side of its axis with said releasing device, a lower gear segment, a gear rack provided with teeth engaging with both of said gear segments, an air cylinder, a piston arranged in said cylinder and connected with said rack, a compressed air reservoir, a connection between said reservoir and cylinder comprising a vent valve having a plug connected with the lower segment and adapted to place said cylinder in communication either with the reservoir or with the atmosphere, a whistle connected with said reservoir and operatively connected with said lower segment, and a hand crank arranged on the lower segment, the relative arrangement of the teeth of the lower segment and the gear rack being such that the initial part of the forward movement of said segment and the valve plug connected there-with is independent of said' gear rack.

Witness my hand this 24th day of January, 1910.

ARTHUR D. STANFORD.

Witnesses:

THEO. L. Porr, E. M. GRAHAM. 

